Electrical controller



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

E. A. SPERRY.

ELECTRICAL CONTROLLER.

No. 535,511. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

IN VEN TOR.

THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTO-L'ITHO,, wxsmnnfcu. n. o.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER A. SPERRY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPERRY ELECTRICRAILVAY. COMPANY, OF OHIO.

ELECTRICAL CONTROLLER.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,511, dated March12, 189 5.

Application filed November 11, 1893- Serial No. 30,698. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Controllers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical controllers especially as employed inconnection with electric motors, and it consists in anovel arrangementof the moving parts which are so combined with the electrical circuit,as to produce new and useful results and to increase the scope and useof such controllers.

It further consists in devices connected with the manually operated partof such controller for the automatic actuation of parts, being in partdependent upon the current circulating. v

It further consists in various details of construction all of which aremore fully specified hereinafter, pointed out in the claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1,illustrates a. front elevation of one form of controller. Fig. II, is aplan partially in diagram of an automatic device. Fig. III, is avertical section thereof. Figs. 1V and V are details.

Similar letters and numerals of reference indicate like partsthroughout.

As a specific application of the controller it is shown in Fig.1, aselectrically connected to an electric motor in which A represents thearmature, A and A" the commutator brushes and F indicates the field coilof such machine.

A source of electrical energy such for instance as the trolley wire B isshown and a ground B is also shown as indicating the path of the returncircuit.

The resistance controlled by the manually operated portion of the deviceis indicated at C, and a resistance controlled by the automaticallyactuated portion is indicated at D. The stationary contacts connectedwith these resistances respectively are indicated at c c d and d; thelast being employed to indicate the moving contact.

A specially short circuiting contact is indicated at d". (See also Figs.III and IV.)

The general features of the controller have been heretofore described inmy application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 432,611, filed August 18,1893, and Serial No. 483,820, filed August 23, 1893. Mechanical detailsof the controller are also shown an described in connection with myapplication, Serial No. 490,697, filed November 11, 1893.

The principal mechanical feature of my controller not shown or describedtherein may be pointed out as follows: The side-wall of the controlleris illustrated by a Fig. I. This contains an aperture in which operatesthe sliding pin I) attached to a transfer switch lever Z), pivoted atits center, the pin beingjust long enough so that when the transferleaves one of its extreme positions,its end protrudes visibly from theside of the box, or controller case constituting an indicator fordetermining the position of attached parts. The motion of the said lever12 is derived from the block E, which in turn receives its motion fromthe shifter E and link E" as fully explained in applications referredto. Upon the switch arm I) are pins 1) and b, the former being shown asengaging with the double faced link G pivoted at G and held in positionas engaging either of the said pins 1) or Z)", by the spring G" link 9and handle g by means of which its relation may be varied at will. Itwill readily be understood that the phase of movement of the switch armI) especially when considered as to its upper portion will move directlywith or contrary to the movements of the two switch arms 6 and eactuated by the moving block E. Stationary contacts for the controllersare indicated also at c and 0'. An auxiliary contact is also indicatedat 6. Upon the moving arm H provided with handle H and pivoted at H" aremounted three contacts, f co-operating with stationary contacts 0 0'1co-operating with c" andf co-operating with c. The contacts cooperatingWith the levers e e are g 9' connected with the contact 0", and thecontact 9" which is connected with the contact 0. The trolley terminalis indicated by the contact 72. which together with the contact 7tco-opcrates with the switch arm I). The electro magnetic coil I, isprovided for the actuation of the moving contact d. The details ofconstruction of this latter contact are preferably arranged as shown inFigs. II and III, I, being the electro-magnetic coil supplied with acore I and an incasing shell I, also consisting of magnetic material.\Vhile it may be preferable to have the coil I, in series circuitrelation with the contacts (1 and (1 yet it will readily be understoodthat these circuit connections are not necessary in carrying out theinvention. Pivoted upon the magnetic shell I are moving armatures it" ii, 850., each provided with a movable contact (1, except the armature iwhich is provided with a special contact 6 which cooperates with thecontact d, by means of which all of the contacts are short circuited aswill be readily understood from the following.

Retractile springs J J, &c., are provided for holding the contact d d inthe proper circuit relation as against the pull of the magnetic forces.The lower electrodes are held in the clamp shown at J at the base ofwhich is formed a support for the pivoted levers J providing for thelower extremity of spring J which is rendered adjustable by thumbscrewj.The contacts 5 b are preferably metallic, being surfaced for instance,with such metal as platinum. The circuit con nections of the large coilI, are indicated respectively at 11 and 12. (See drawings.)

The circuit connections of the controller may as a whole be traced asfollows, (see Fig. 1,) when the circuit is closed by the moving arm H:the current entering at trolley B, to contact h by wire 1, thence uponswitch 0 by wire 2, to the terminal stationary contact, thence throughthe resistance 0, in direction of the arrow heads, to contact f, whichis now supposed to be in contact with some of the contacts 0 c; thenceby wire 3, magnet coil, wire 4, magnet coil, and wire 5 to commutatorbrush A; thence traversing the armature A, to commutator brush A, thenceupon wire 6 to contactf, which rests upon contact e,wire 7, contaetg",arm e,to the field coil F of the motor, through same in the direction ofthe arrow, switch arme', contact 9', contact 0", to contact f, wire 8,magnet coils, wire 9, to ground B. It will readilybe seen that as theswitch arm is thrown farther to the left it finally reaches the positionwhen contact f will in part rest upon the contact c, whereupon some ofthe current will pass by wire 10, resistance It, to the ground by wire.9, thereby short circuiting in a measure the said field F. It willreadily be seen that the circuit as it passes upon wire 9 will not leaveit and follow wire 10, 850., inasmuch as the contact to which thesewires lead, namely, h, is open circuited. However when the position ofthe switch arm I) is reversed as has been fully described in theapplications referred to, the circuit of such contact will be closed andsimultaneously the position of the two switch arms 9 and cwill be thrownin position as shown in dotted line, and under certain conditionstransforming the motor into a generator, the current developed in whichwill traverse a local circuit being entirely disconnected from theformer source of electrical energy by the fact that the switch arm 1) isnowentirely disconnected from the contact h.

The current generated first by the residual magnetism of the field willtraverse the armature in an opposite direction and field in the samedirection as heretoforeand maybe traced as follows: Emanating at brush Athe current follows wire 5, wire i, and wire 3 in direction of thedotted arrow shown adjacent to wire 5, from contactf, passes through theresistance 0, wire 2, in direction of the dotted arrow to switch arm I),thence to contact 71/ by wire 13, to the short circuiting terminal (1,movable contact d, wire 12, coil I, wire 11, to wire 9, coils, wire 8 tocontact f", thence to contact 0, to contact g, down the arm 6 indirection shown by dotted arrow, through field F up the switch arm 6 tocontact g, wire 7, to contact 0, thence by way of contactf, wire 6, andcommutator brush A to the armature where the present circuit started. Asthe currentincreases in coil I, the pull upon its cores or armatures Iand I, 850., will increase until a point is reached in which the core I,will overcome the force of the retractile spring J, when the currentwill traverse the other contacts and the resistance D as said contactsare opened in succession or the equivalent arm at is moved upward alongthe contacts d, thus includinginacircuit extra resistancenamely, D, bymeans of which the current is cut down to a point where further increaseof magnetization is prevented, from the fact that no further increase ofcurrent takes place. As the motor gradually diminishes itscurrent-production from any cause whatever, for instance, reduction inspeed, less and less of thesaid re sistance D will be included incircuit whereby the current generated is maintained about uniform aswill be readily understood. At the same time the current so generated isunder manual control of the operator as will be readily understood.

It will be seen from Figs. II to IV that the springs J are utilized aspart of the circuit connection in the regulator shown.

\Vhile it is designed to use all the above features in connection witheach other, yet, it is obvious that some may be used without the others,and the invention extends to such use.

I claim- 1. In an electric motor controller, a series motor, a pluralityof exterior circuits for the motor, means connected therewith forchanging the connections of the motor from one to another of saidexterior circuits, a resistance controlled by said means, in combinationwith anindependent resistance permanentlyin one of said outside circuitscontrolling the current in the field magnet. coils and said circuit.

2. In a controller for an electric motor, a moving element havingdifferent positions of movement, a case for the controller, an aperturewithin such case, and an indicator connected with such moving elementoperating within such aperture, and means whereby said indicator isrendered visible only when the movable element stands in certain of itssaid positions.

3. In an electric motor controller, a series motor, a plurality ofexterior circuits for the motor, means connected therewith for changingthe connections of the motor from one to another of said exteriorcircuits, a resistance controlled by said means with an independentresistance in one of said outside circuits in combination with anindependent means of control for the said resistance controlling thecurrent in the field magnet coils and said circuit.

4. In a controller for an electric motor means connected with thecontroller for alternately connecting the circuit thereof and placingthe said motor on a local circuit, a resistance for such local circuitin combination with an electro magnet for automatically varying suchresistance.

5. In an electric controller, a two-way switch, a supply circuitconnection for such switch, a local circuit connection for such switch,a main moving element of the controller, an electric motor connectedwith such controller having fields and armature, a reversing switch foreither field or armature located within such controller in combinationwith mechanism, whereby the two-way switch and reversing switch aresimultaneously operated from the movement of the said main movingelement.

6. In an electric controller, a two-way switch, a supply circuitconnection for such switch, a local circuit connection for such switch,a main moving element of the controller, an electric motor connectedwith such controller having fields and armature, a reversing switch foreither field or armature located within such controller in combinationwith mechanism, wherebythe twoway switch and reversing switch aresimultaneously operated from the movement of the said moving element,and means for reversing the relative movement of the said two-way andreversing switches.

7. In a controller for an electric machine, a local circuit, aswitch foroperating said local circuit, a resistance contained therein, multiplecontacts connected with such resistance armatures for such localcontacts and a common electro magnet for all the armatures.

8. In a controller for an electric machine, a local circuit, a switchfor operating said local circuit, a resistance contained therein,multiple contacts connected with such resistance armatures for suchlocal contacts, and a common electro magnet for all the armatures, and acontact connected to one of the armatures in combination with circuitconnections whereby all of the other contacts are short circuitedthereby.

9. In a controller for an electric machine, a local circuit, a switchfor operating said local circuit, a resistance contained therein,multiple contacts connected with such resistance armatu res for suchlocal contacts and a common electro magnet for all the armatures, incombination with retractile devices differing as to intensity for eachof said armatures.

10. In a controller a moving element, an auxiliary moving element whichis operated thereby, being capable of change as to phase of movementrelatively to the said moving element a connection between the two, ashifter for the connection, and an elastic medium between shifter andthe connection.

11. An electrical machine to be used as a generator or a motor, arheostat of variable resistance, a line circuit, a local circuit, meansfor opening the line circuit and suitable means for maintaining thedirection through the field magnets constant when the motor is used as agenerator and for directing the current so generated through the saidrheostat and the said local circuit in combination with an electricallyactuated device in said local circuit for varying the current in saidlocal circuit.

12. An electrical machine to be used as a generator or a motor, arheostat of variable resistance, a line circuit, a local circuit, meansfor opening the line circuit and suitable means for maintaining thedirection through the field magnets constant when the motor is used as agenerator and for directing the current so generated through the saidrheostat and the said local circuit in combination with a separateresistance in the said local circuit, and an electrically actuateddevice for said resistance.

13. The combination, with a series-wound electric motor, of a rheostatof variable resistance, a reversing switch, a brake switch, a localcircuit, and an electrically actuated device in the local circuit forvarying the current in said local circuit.

lei. In an electric motor a plurality of exterior circuits for themotor, means connected therewith for changing the connections of themotor from one to another of said outside circuits, an independentresistance in one of said outside circuits in combination with meansresponsive to an electric current for controlling the said resistance.

15. An electrical machine to be used as a generator or a motor, arheostat of variable resistance, a line circuit, a local circuit, meansfor opening the line circuit and suitable means for maintaining thedirection through the field magnets constant when the motoris used as agenerator and for directing the current so generated through the saidrheostat and the said local circuit in combination with an electricallyactuated device, for varying the current an electric controlling device,and means for actuating said electric controlling device the saiddevices being included in said local circuit.

16. The combination, with an electric motor, of a variable resistance, alocal circuit, an electrically actuated device, a brake switch arrangedso that when the braking action is taking place the line circuit isopen, the blade of said switch being electricallyconnected to thevariable resistance, and suitable electrical connection between the saidvariable resistance and the electrically actuated device, switch andmotor, substantially as described.

17. The combination, with an electric motor, of a variable resistance, abrake switch so arranged that When the braking action is taking placethe line circuit is open, means for controlling the polarity of theresidual magnetlSHl of the field magnets, a local circuit, and anelectrically actuated device in said local circuit controlling thecurrent in the field 1 magnet coils and said circuit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

ELMER A. SPERRY. Witnesses:

C. A. LoNGFELLoW, J. 13. MoGIRR.

